Numerology combination sets for multi-carrier operation

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for determining a set of numerologies for performing multicarrier operation of a user equipment for operating signals on at least a first carrier in a first cell and a second carrier in a second cell are provided.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.16/475,468, which is a national stage application, filed under 35 U.S.C.§ 371, of International Patent Application No. PCT/IB2018/050067 filedon Jan. 4, 2018, which claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 62/443,366 filed on Jan. 6, 2017, each of which isincorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to wireless communications andwireless communication networks.

INTRODUCTION

The architecture for New Radio (NR) (also known as 5G or NextGeneration) is being discussed in standardization bodies such as 3GPPand an example network architecture is illustrated in FIG. 1. eNB10A-10B denotes a Long Term Evolution (LTE) eNodeB, and gNB 12A-12Bdenotes an NR base station (BS). One NR BS can correspond to one or moretransmission/reception points. The links between the nodes illustratethe possible corresponding interfaces which may be deployed. Forexample, the interface between the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) node 14 andeNB 10A can be an LTE S1 interface while the interface between EPC node14 and gNB 12A can be S1-like. The interface between an eNB 10A and gNB12A can be similar to an X2 interface. The interface between an NR corenode 16 and gNB 12B can be an NG1 interface.

FIG. 2 further illustrates a variety of example deployment scenarios forthe NR BS 30A-30F and LTE eNB 40A-40C connecting to the core network 20.Those skilled in the art will appreciate that numerous deploymentapproaches can be considered.

FIG. 2a illustrates an example non-centralized deployment. FIG. 2billustrates an example co-sited deployment. FIG. 2c illustrates anexample centralized deployment, where the upper layers of the NR BS 32are centralized and the lower layers of the NR BS 34A-34C aredistributed. FIG. 2d illustrates an example shared deployment, wherethree core operators 20A, 20B, 20C connect to the NR BS 30E-30F.

In NR, which is based on Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing(OFDM), multiple numerologies can be supported for operation, e.g.transmission and/or reception of signals. The term “numerology” maycharacterize any one or more of: frame duration, subframe orTransmission Time Interval (TTI) duration, slot duration, min-slotduration, symbol durations subcarrier spacing, number of subcarriers perphysical channel (e.g. RB), number of RBs within the bandwidth, etc.

A scaling approach (based on a scaling factor 2N, N=1, 2, . . . ) isconsidered for deriving subcarrier spacings for NR: 15 kHz, 30 kHz, 60kHz, 120 KHz, etc. The numerology-specific time resource durations (e.g.slot, subframe, etc.) can then be determined in milliseconds (ms) basedon the subcarrier spacing. For example, a subcarrier spacing of (2N×15)kHz gives exactly ½N ms.

FIG. 3 illustrates examples of numerology attributes 50 for NR in termsof carrier spacings, slot duration, symbol duration, cyclic prefix (CP)length, etc.

In multicarrier or carrier aggregation (CA) operation, a user equipment(UE) is able to receive and/or transmit data to more than one servingcell(s). The term “carrier aggregation” can also be interchangeablyreferred to as “multi-carrier system”, “multi-cell operation”,“multi-carrier operation”, “multi-carrier” transmission and/orreception. In CA one of the component carriers (CCs) is the primarycomponent carrier (PCC), or simply primary carrier or anchor carrier.The remaining carriers are called secondary component carrier (SCC), orsimply secondary carriers or supplementary carriers. The serving cellcan be interchangeably called the primary cell (PCell) or primaryserving cell (PSC). Similarly, the secondary serving cell can beinterchangeably called the secondary cell (SCell) or secondary servingcell (SSC).

In Dual Connectivity (DC) operation, the UE can be served by at leasttwo nodes called the master eNB (MeNB) and the secondary eNB (SeNB).More specifically, in DC the UE is configured with a Master Cell Group(MCG) and a Secondary Cell Group (SCG). Cell Group (CG) is a group ofserving cells associated with either the MeNB or the SeNB, respectively.The MCG is a group of serving cells associated with the MeNB, comprisedof the PCell and optionally one or more SCells. The SCG is a group ofserving cells associated with the SeNB comprised of the PSCell (PrimarySCell) and optionally one or more SCells.

More generally, in multiple connectivity (aka multi-connectivity) (MC)operation, the UE can be served by two or more nodes, e.g. MeNB, SeNB1,SeNB2, and so on. The UE is configured with PCC from both MeNB and SeNB.The PCell from MeNB and SeNB are called as PCell and PSCellrespectively. The PCell and PSCell operate the UE typicallyindependently. The UE is also configured with one or more SCCs from eachof MeNB and SeNB. The corresponding secondary serving cells served byMeNB and SeNB are called SCell. The UE in DC typically has separateTX/RX for each of the connections with MeNB and SeNB. This allows theMeNB and SeNB to independently configure the UE with one or moreprocedures, such as radio link monitoring (RLM), DRX cycles, etc., ontheir PCell and PSCell respectively.

In DC or MC, a UE capable of both LTE and NR operations can also beconfigured with at least one CG containing one or more LTE serving cells(e.g. PCell) and with at least one CG containing one or more NR servingcells (e.g. PSCell).

A multicarrier system (CA, DC or MC) may involve carriers in licensedand/or unlicensed spectrum or frequency bands.

In NR, different numerologies (for example, subcarrier spacings) can beused for the operating signals between a UE and a network node orbetween any pair of UEs which are capable of device-to-device (D2D)operation. The support of these multiple numerologies can lead tocomplexity, processing and cost of the devices. The complexity may befurther increased for devices supporting multicarrier operation asdiscussed above.

SUMMARY

It is an object of the present disclosure to obviate or mitigate atleast one disadvantage of the prior art.

There are provided systems and methods for determining a set ofnumerologies for performing multicarrier operation in at least a firstcell of a first carrier and a second cell of a second carrier.

In a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a methodperformed by a wireless device. The method includes determining a set ofnumerologies supported by the wireless device for performingmulticarrier operation. The set of numerologies includes at least afirst numerology for operating signals on a first carrier in a firstcell and a second numerology for operating signals on a second carrierin a second cell. Responsive to determining a relation between the firstcarrier and the second carrier, the wireless device uses the firstnumerology for operating the signals on the first carrier in the firstcell and the second numerology for operating the signals on the secondcarrier in the second cell.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided awireless device comprising circuitry including a processor and a memory,the memory containing instructions executable by the processor wherebythe wireless device is operative to determine a set of numerologiessupported by the wireless device for performing multicarrier operation.The set of numerologies includes at least a first numerology foroperating signals on a first carrier in a first cell and a secondnumerology for operating signals on a second carrier in a second cell.Responsive to determining a relation between the first carrier and thesecond carrier, the wireless device uses the first numerology foroperating the signals on the first carrier in the first cell and thesecond numerology for operating the signals on the second carrier in thesecond cell.

In some embodiments, the numerologies comprise one or more attributesdefining signal characteristics. The attribute(s) can include at leastone of a subcarrier spacing, a symbol duration, a cycle prefix length, atime slot duration, a frame duration, a subframe duration, atransmission time interval duration, a number of subcarriers perphysical channel, and a number of physical channels within thebandwidth.

In some embodiments, in accordance with determining that the first andsecond carriers belong to different frequency bands, the firstnumerology and the second numerology are different numerologies (e.g.different numerologies are used for operating signals on the firstcarrier in the first cell and for operating the signals on the secondcarrier in the second cell).

In some embodiments, in accordance with determining that the first andsecond carriers belong to different frequency bands and that adifference between frequencies of the first and second carriers isgreater than a threshold, the first numerology and the second numerologyare different numerologies.

In some embodiments, in accordance with determining that the first andsecond carriers belong to different frequency bands and that adifference between frequencies of the first and second carriers is lessthan or equal to a threshold, the first numerology and the secondnumerology are the same numerology (e.g. the same numerology is used foroperating signals on the first carrier in the first cell and foroperating the signals on the second carrier in the second cell).

In some embodiments, in accordance with determining that the first andsecond carriers belong to a same frequency band, the first numerologyand the second numerology are the same numerology.

In some embodiments, in accordance with determining that frequencies ofthe first and second carriers are non-adjacent and that a gap betweenfrequencies of the first and second carriers is less than or equal to agiven threshold, the first numerology and the second numerology are thesame numerology.

In some embodiments, in accordance with determining that the first andsecond carriers belong to a same frequency band and that a gap betweenfrequencies of the first and second carriers is greater than a giventhreshold, the first numerology and the second numerology are differentnumerologies.

In some embodiments, different numerologies can be used for operatingsignals on a downlink channel and an uplink channel of the firstcarrier. In some embodiments, a common transmitter and/or a commonreceiver can be used when using the same numerology for the firstnumerology and the second numerology. In some embodiments, a differenttransmitter and/or a different receiver can be used when using differentnumerologies for the first numerology and the second numerology.

In some embodiments, the wireless device can receive a request toperform multicarrier operation from a network node. The wireless devicecan further transmit information associated with the set of numerologiessupported by the wireless device for performing multicarrier operationto a network node.

The various aspects and embodiments described herein can be combinedalternatively, optionally and/or in addition to one another.

Other aspects and features of the present disclosure will becomeapparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of thefollowing description of specific embodiments in conjunction with theaccompanying figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described, by way ofexample only, with reference to the attached Figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates an example NR architecture;

FIG. 2 illustrates NR deployment examples;

FIG. 3 illustrates example numerology configurations for NR;

FIG. 4 illustrates an example wireless network;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a method which can be performed in awireless device;

FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating a method which can be performed in anetwork node;

FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating a method for determining a set ofnumerologies for performing multicarrier operation;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an example wireless device;

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an example network node;

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an example wireless device with modules;and

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of an example network node with modules.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The embodiments set forth below represent information to enable thoseskilled in the art to practice the embodiments. Upon reading thefollowing description in light of the accompanying drawing figures,those skilled in the art will understand the concepts of the descriptionand will recognize applications of these concepts not particularlyaddressed herein. It should be understood that these concepts andapplications fall within the scope of the description.

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth.However, it is understood that embodiments may be practiced withoutthese specific details. In other instances, well-known circuits,structures, and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not toobscure the understanding of the description. Those of ordinary skill inthe art, with the included description, will be able to implementappropriate functionality without undue experimentation.

References in the specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,”“an example embodiment,” etc., indicate that the embodiment describedmay include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, butevery embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature,structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarilyreferring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature,structure, or characteristic is described in connection with anembodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of oneskilled in the art to implement such feature, structure, orcharacteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or notexplicitly described.

In some embodiments, the non-limiting term “network node” is used and itcan correspond to any type of radio access node (or radio network node)or any network node, which can communicate with a UE and/or with anothernetwork node in a cellular or mobile or wireless communication system.Examples of network nodes are NodeB, MeNB, SeNB, a network nodebelonging to MCG or SCG, base station (BS), multi-standard radio (MSR)radio access node such as MSR BS, eNodeB, network controller, radionetwork controller (RNC), base station controller (BSC), relay, donornode controlling relay, base transceiver station (BTS), access point(AP), transmission points, transmission nodes, RRU, RRH, nodes indistributed antenna system (DAS), core network node (e.g. MSC, MME,etc.), O&M, OSS, Self-organizing Network (SON), positioning node (e.g.E-SMLC), MDT, test equipment, etc. Example embodiments of a network nodeare described in more detail below with respect to FIG. 9.

In some embodiments, the non-limiting term “user equipment” (UE) is usedand it can refer to any type of wireless device which can communicatewith a network node and/or with another UE in a cellular or mobile orwireless communication system. Examples of UE are target device, deviceto device (D2D) UE, machine type UE or UE capable of machine to machine(M2M) communication, personal digital assistant, tablet, mobileterminal, smart phone, laptop embedded equipped (LEE), laptop mountedequipment (LME), USB dongles, ProSe UE, V2V UE, V2X UE, MTC UE, eMTC UE,FeMTC UE, UE Cat 0, UE Cat M1, narrow band IoT (NB-IoT) UE, UE Cat NB1,etc. Example embodiments of a UE are described in more detail below withrespect to FIG. 8.

In some embodiments, the term “radio access technology” (RAT) refers toany RAT e.g. UTRA, E-UTRA, narrow band internet of things (NB-IoT),WiFi, Bluetooth, next generation RAT (NR), 4G, 5G, etc. Any of the firstand the second nodes may be capable of supporting a single or multipleRATs.

The term “radio node” used herein can be used to denote a UE or anetwork node.

In some embodiments, a UE can be configured to operate in carrieraggregation (CA) implying aggregation of two or more carriers in atleast one of DL and UL directions. With CA, a UE can have multipleserving cells, wherein the term ‘serving’ herein means that the UE isconfigured with the corresponding serving cell and may receive fromand/or transmit data to the network node on the serving cell e.g. onPCell or any of the SCells. The data is transmitted or received viaphysical channels e.g. PDSCH in DL, PUSCH in UL etc. A component carrier(CC) also interchangeably called as carrier or aggregated carrier, PCCor SCC is configured at the UE by the network node using higher layersignaling e.g. by sending RRC configuration message to the UE. Theconfigured CC is used by the network node for serving the UE on theserving cell (e.g. on PCell, PSCell, SCell, etc.) of the configured CC.The configured CC is also used by the UE for performing one or moreradio measurements (e.g. RSRP, RSRQ, etc.) on the cells operating on theCC, e.g. PCell, SCell or PSCell and neighboring cells.

In some embodiments, a UE can also operate in dual connectivity (DC) ormulti-connectivity (MC). The multicarrier or multicarrier operation canbe any of CA, DC, MC, etc. The term “multicarrier” can also beinterchangeably called a band combination.

The term “radio measurement” used herein may refer to any measurementperformed on radio signals. Radio measurements can be absolute orrelative. Radio measurements can be e.g. intra-frequency,inter-frequency, CA, etc. Radio measurements can be unidirectional(e.g., DL or UL or in either direction on a sidelink) or bidirectional(e.g., RTT, Rx-Tx, etc.). Some examples of radio measurements: timingmeasurements (e.g., propagation delay, TOA, timing advance, RTT, RSTD,Rx-Tx, etc.), angle measurements (e.g., angle of arrival), power-basedor channel quality measurements (e.g., path loss, received signal power,RSRP, received signal quality, RSRQ, SINR, SNR, interference power,total interference plus noise, RSSI, noise power, CSI, CQI, PMI, etc.),cell detection or cell identification, RLM, SI reading, etc. Themeasurement may be performed on one or more links in each direction,e.g., RSTD or relative RSRP or based on signals from different TPs ofthe same (shared) cell.

The term “signaling” used herein may comprise any of: high-layersignaling (e.g., via RRC or a like), lower-layer signaling (e.g., via aphysical control channel or a broadcast channel), or a combinationthereof. The signaling may be implicit or explicit. The signaling mayfurther be unicast, multicast or broadcast. The signaling may also bedirectly to another node or via a third node.

The term “time resource” used herein may correspond to any type ofphysical resource or radio resource expressed in terms of length oftime. Examples of time resources include: symbol, time slot, sub-frame,radio frame, TTI, interleaving time, etc. The term “frequency resource”may refer to sub-band within a channel bandwidth, subcarrier, carrierfrequency, frequency band. The term “time and frequency resources” mayrefer to any combination of time and frequency resources.

The term “numerology” used herein may refer to any one or moreattributes defining signal characteristics. Examples of such attributesare: subcarrier spacing, symbol duration, CP duration (aka CP length),time slot duration, subframe duration, number of subcarriers perphysical channel, number of physical channels within the bandwidth, etc.A physical channel used herein refers to any time-frequency radioresource. Examples of physical channels are resource block (RB),physical RB (PRB), virtual RB (VRB), etc.

The term “set of numerologies” used herein may refer to any combinationof at least two numerologies which can be used for multicarrieroperation of a UE involving at least two carrier frequencies. The term“set of numerologies” can be interchangeably referred to as numerologyset, numerology combination set (NCS), multicarrier numerologycombination set, etc.

The term “set of subcarriers” used herein may refer to any combinationof at least two subcarriers which can be used for multicarrier operationof a UE involving at least two carrier frequencies. The term “set ofsubcarriers” can be interchangeably referred to as subcarrier set,subcarrier combination set (SCS), multicarrier subcarrier combinationset, etc. SCS is one example of NCS.

Some examples of UE operation include: UE radio measurement (see theterm “radio measurement” above), bidirectional measurement with UEtransmitting, cell detection or identification, beam detection oridentification, system information reading, channel receiving anddecoding, any UE operation or activity involving at least receiving ofone or more radio signals and/or channels, cell change or (re)selection,beam change or (re)selection, a mobility-related operation, ameasurement-related operation, a radio resource management (RRM)-relatedoperation, a positioning procedure, a timing related procedure, a timingadjustment related procedure, UE location tracking procedure, timetracking related procedure, synchronization related procedure, MDT-likeprocedure, measurement collection related procedure, a CA-relatedprocedure, serving cell activation/deactivation, CCconfiguration/de-configuration, etc.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards multicarrieroperation involving different numerologies. Some embodiments can enablea wireless device to support numerologies which are related to orassociated with the wireless device radio architecture. Some embodimentscan enable a network node to be aware of different set of numerologiessupported by the wireless device for the multicarrier operation. Thiscan allow the network node to appropriately configure the wirelessdevice for multicarrier operation in NR or other networks.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a wireless network 100 that can be usedfor wireless communications. Wireless network 100 includes wirelessdevices, such as UEs 110A-110B, and network nodes, such as radio accessnodes 120A-120B (e.g. eNBs, gNBs, etc.), connected to one or more corenetwork nodes 130 via an interconnecting network 125. The network 100can use any suitable deployment scenarios. UEs 110 within coverage area115 can each be capable of communicating directly with radio accessnodes 120 over a wireless interface. In some embodiments, UEs 110 canalso be capable of communicating with each other via D2D communication.

As an example, UE 110A can communicate with radio access node 120A overa wireless interface. That is, UE 110A can transmit wireless signals toand/or receive wireless signals from radio access node 120A. Thewireless signals can contain voice traffic, data traffic, controlsignals, and/or any other suitable information. In some embodiments, anarea of wireless signal coverage 115 associated with a radio access node120 can be referred to as a cell.

The interconnecting network 125 can refer to any interconnecting systemcapable of transmitting audio, video, signals, data, messages, etc., orany combination of the preceding. The interconnecting network 125 caninclude all or a portion of a public switched telephone network (PSTN),a public or private data network, a local area network (LAN), ametropolitan area network (MAN), a wide area network (WAN), a local,regional, or global communication or computer network such as theInternet, a wireline or wireless network, an enterprise intranet, or anyother suitable communication link, including combinations thereof.

In some embodiments, the core network node 130 can manage theestablishment of communication sessions and other various otherfunctionalities for UEs 110. Examples of core network node 130 caninclude mobile switching center (MSC), MME, serving gateway (SGW),packet data network gateway (PGW), operation and maintenance (O&M),operations support system (OSS), SON, positioning node (e.g., EnhancedServing Mobile Location Center, E-SMLC), MDT node, etc. UEs 110 canexchange certain signals with the core network node using the non-accessstratum layer. In non-access stratum signaling, signals between UEs 110and the core network node 130 can be transparently passed through theradio access network. In some embodiments, radio access nodes 120 caninterface with one or more network nodes over an internode interface.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a method which can be performed by awireless device, such as UE 110. The method can include:

Step 200 (optional): Receiving a request from another node to transmitinformation about a set of numerologies supported by the UE formulticarrier operation.

Step 210: Determining at least a first set of numerologies (S1)including at least two numerologies: a first numerology (N1) and asecond numerology (N2) used for operating signals in a first cell(cell1) of a first carrier (F1) and a second cell (cell2) of a secondcarrier (F2) respectively for performing multicarrier operation.

Step 220: Using the determined set of numerologies (S1) for one or moreoperational tasks (e.g. reporting results to another node, using S1 formulticarrier operation, adapting transceiver configuration, etc.).

Step 230 (optional): Receiving a request from a network node to performmulticarrier operation based on the determined set of numerologies (S1).

It will be appreciated that one or more of the above steps can beperformed simultaneously and/or in a different order. Also, stepsillustrated in dashed lines are optional and can be omitted in someembodiments. The steps will now be described in more detail.

Step 200

In some embodiments this step is optional for the UE. In step 200, theUE can receive a request from another node to transmit information aboutat least one set of numerologies supported by the UE for performingmulticarrier operation involving at least two carrier frequencies. TheUE may further receive a request for transmitting information about aplurality of sets of numerologies supported by the UE for one or moremulticarrier operations. The received request may further includeinformation related to carrier frequencies (e.g. frequency identifierssuch as ARFCN, bands, etc.) for which the set of numerologies supportedby the UE should be signaled by the UE to the node.

The UE may receive the request from another node via higher layersignaling (e.g. RRC, NAS signaling, etc.) or lower layer signaling (e.g.MAC, L1 message, etc.). The request can be received by the UEperiodically or aperiodically (e.g. when certain a procedure such asmulticarrier is being performed/configured).

Examples of other nodes are network nodes and/or another UE (e.g.capable of D2D operation). The network node can be a serving networknode of the UE, core network node, etc.

Step 210

In step 210, the UE determines information related to at least one setof numerologies, referred to herein as a first set of numerologies (S1),which can be used by the UE for performing multicarrier operationinvolving at least two carrier frequencies: a first carrier frequency(F1) and a second carrier frequency (F2). The UE can further determinetwo or more sets of numerologies (e.g. S1, S2, S3, . . . , Sm) supportedby the UE for performing multicarrier operation involving at least twocarriers. Accordingly, the UE can further determine one or more sets ofnumerologies for the more than two carriers (e.g. F1, F2, F3, . . . ,Fn) supported by the UE for multicarrier operation of the UE. Thecarriers F1, F2, . . . , Fn can also be referred to as the servingcarriers of the UE (e.g. PCC, SCC, PSC, etc).

The set of numerologies S1 comprises at least two numerologies: a firstnumerology (N1) used for operating a first signal in a first cell(cell1) belonging to or operating on F1, and a second numerology (N2)used for operating a second signal in a second cell (cell2) belonging toor operating on F2.

In one example, the same numerology can be used in both cells (i.e.N1=N2).

In another example, the same numerology can be used in the uplink anddownlink of the same cell by the UE.

In another example, different numerologies are used in the uplink (UL)and downlink (DL) of the same cell by the UE. In this case the UE mayfurther determine information related to a third numerology (N12) and afourth numerology (N22) used for operating a first uplink signal (ULS1)and a second uplink signal (ULS2) used in cell1 and cell2 respectively.In one example N12 and N22 are different. In yet another example, N12and N22 can be the same (i.e. N12=N22).

Same or different carrier frequencies can be used in the DL and UL ofthe same cell by the UE for performing multicarrier operation. Forinstance, in one example both DL and UL of cell1 can use the samecarrier frequency (i.e. F1). In another example, both DL and UL of cell2can use the same carrier frequency (i.e. F2). In another example,different carrier frequencies can be used in DL and UL of cell1 (i.e.F1_dl and F1_ul are used in DL and UL of cell1 respectively). In anotherexample, different carrier frequencies can be used in DL and UL of cell2(i.e. F2_dl and F2_ul are used in DL and UL of cell2 respectively). Anycombination of carriers can be used for multicarrier operation.

In some embodiments, the carriers F1 and F2 can belong to the samefrequency band (aka intra-band) or they can belong to differentfrequency bands (aka inter-band carriers). In the former case, F1 and F2can be adjacent (intra-band contiguous carriers) or they can benon-adjacent (intra-band non-contiguous carriers).

In some embodiments, cell1 and cell2 can operate or be served by ormanaged by different network nodes. For example, cell1 managed by afirst network node (NW1) and cell2 managed by a second network node(NW2). In another example, cell1 and cell2 may operate/served by/managedby the same network node (e.g. NW1 and NW2 are the same node).

In some embodiments, cell1 and cell2 can be serving cells such as PCell,SCell and/or PSCell. Either of cell1 or cell2 can be the PCell, PSCellor SCell. For example, the embodiments disclosed herein are applicablefor any of the following non-limiting combinations of serving cells:

-   -   cell1 and cell2 are the PCell and SCell respectively;    -   cell1 and cell2 are the PCell and PSCell respectively;    -   cell1 and cell2 are the SCell and PCell respectively;    -   cell1 and cell2 are the PSCell and PSCell respectively;    -   cell1 and cell2 are the PSCell and SCell respectively;    -   cell1 and cell2 are the SCell and PSCell respectively.

Similarly, F1 and F2 can be any of PCC, SCC and/or PSCC and theembodiments are applicable for any combination(s) of PCC, SCC or PSCC.

In one embodiment, the numerologies used in cell1 and cell2 can be“semi-statically” configured.

In some embodiments, two or more numerologies are used, for example,multiplexed in time and/or frequency and being dynamically,semi-statically or statically configured or configured based on apre-defiled rule or scheduling, configured, in at least one of the firstand second cells.

The supported NCS (e.g. SCS) may depend on at least the UE architecturesupported by the UE for multicarrier operation. The UE architecture canbe characterized by its transceiver circuitry for operating signals(e.g. transmitter and/or receiver). For example, based on the UEarchitecture supported by the UE, the corresponding NCS information canbe stored in the UE. Therefore, the UE can determine one or more set ofnumerologies (i.e. NCS or SCS) supported by the UE for multicarrieroperation by retrieving the corresponding information stored in the UEmemory. For example, if the UE has a common radio receiver and/or commonradio transmitter for multicarrier operation of two or more carriers(e.g. F1, F2), then the UE may be capable of supporting the samenumerology for performing multicarrier operation based on such carriers(F1 and F2). In a second example, if the UE has separate (e.g.different) radio receivers and/or separate radio transmitters formulticarrier operation of two or more carriers (e.g. F1, F2) then the UEmay be capable of supporting different numerologies for performingmulticarrier operation based on such carriers (F1 and F2).

The numerology combination set can be expressed by a function comprisedof at least two cells and at least one numerology, which the UE cansupport for performing multicarrier operation. Examples of suchfunctions are can be expressed by the following generalized expressions(1-4):

S1=f(N1,N2,cell1,cell2)  (1)

S2=f1(N1,N1,cell1,cell2)  (2)

Sk=f2(N1,N2, . . . ,Nk,cell1,cell2)  (3)

Sm=f3(N1,N2,cell1,cell2, . . . ,Cellm)  (4)

The rules describing NCS or subcarrier combination set (SCS) that can besupported by the UE can also be pre-defined as rules and/or requirementfor the UE. For example, the UE can indicate or signal identifiers ofthe supported NCS or SCS to another node.

Several examples of numerology combination sets (NCS) which can besupported by the UE are shown in Tables 1 and 2. Several specificexamples of NCS in terms of subcarrier combination sets (SCS), which canbe supported by the UE, are shown in Tables 3, 4 and 5. These tablescontain several examples of NCS or SCS. The UE may support one orplurality of such NCS (e.g. SCS) depending upon its architecture, radiocircuitry, memory, processing capability, supported frequency bands etc.These examples or rules are further detailed below.

In Table 1, in each NCS the same numerology can be used by the UE in theuplink and downlink of the same cell. The UE may support one orplurality of NCS or al NCS in table 1. In one example the same UE maysupport only S1, while in another example the UE may support S1, S2 andS5. In set, S3, the UE can support any combination of N1 and N2 on cell1and cell2 e.g. any of: N1 and N1, N2 and N2, or N1 and N2 on cell1 andcell2 respectively.

TABLE 1 Examples of numerology combination set (NCS) supported by the UEfor performing multicarrier operation of two or more carriers. The samenumerology is used in UL and DL of the same cell. Numerology combinationNumerologies applicable set Cell for different cells S1 Cell1 N1 Cell2N2 S2 Cell1 N1 Cell2 N1 S3 Cell1 N1, N2 Cell2 N1, N2 S4 Cell1 N1, N2, N3Cell2 N1, N3 S5 Cell1 N1 Cell2 N2 Cell3 N3 S6 Cell1 N1 Cell2 N2 Cell3 N2S7 Cell1 N1 Cell2 N1 Cell3 N1 S8 Cell1 N1 Cell2 N2 . . . . . . Cellm NmS9 Cell1 N1, N2, N3 Cell2 N2, N3, N4 . . . . . . Cellm N1, N2, N3, N4

In Table 2, in some NCSs different numerologies can be used by the UE inthe uplink and downlink of the same cell. But in some NCSs the samenumerology can be used by the UE in the uplink and downlink of the samecell. For example, if the UE supports only S10, then differentnumerologies can be used in the DL and UL of the same cell. But if theUE supports S13, then the same numerology can be used in the uplink andthe downlink of the cell.

TABLE 2 Examples of numerology combination set supported by the UE forperforming multicarrier operation comprising of two or more carriers.Different numerologies can be used in UL and DL of the same cell.Numerology combination Cell Numerologies applicable set Cell Directionfor different cells S10 Cell1 DL N11 UL N12 Cell2 DL N21 UL N22 S11Cell1 DL N11, N21, N31 UL N12, N22, N32 Cell2 DL N11, N21 UL N12, N22S12 Cell1 DL N1 UL N2 Cell2 DL N1 UL N2 S13 Cell1 DL N1 UL N1 Cell2 DLN1 UL N1 S14 Cell1 DL N11 UL N12 Cell2 DL N21 UL N22 Cell3 DL N31 UL N32S15 Cell1 DL N11 UL N12 Cell2 DL N21 UL N22 . . . . . . . . . Cellm DLNm1 UL Nm2

In Table 3, the NCSs are expressed in terms of SCS examples. The UE cansupport any one or more of the SCS. In each SCS the same subcarrierspacing can be used in the UL and DL of the same cell.

TABLE 3 Specific examples of numerology combination set in terms ofsubcarrier combination set supported by the UE for performing multicarrier operation of two or more carriers. Same subcarrier spacing (Sp)is used in UL and DL of the same cell. Subcarrier Subcarrier spacingsapplicable combination set Cell for different cells C1 Cell1 15 KHzCell2 30 KHz C2 Cell1 15 KHz Cell2 15 KHz C3 Cell1 60 KHz Cell2 60 KHzC4 Cell1 15 KHz, 30 KHz Cell2 15 KHz, 30 KHz C5 Cell1 15 KHz, 30 KHzCell2 15 KHz C6 Cell1 15 KHz, 30 KHz Cell2 15 KHz, 30 KHz, 60 KHz C7Cell1 15 KHz Cell2 30 KHz Cell3 120 KHz C8 Cell1 30 KHz Cell2 30 KHzCell3 30 KHz C9 Cell1 15 KHz, 30 KHz Cell2 30 KHz . . . . . . Cellm 30KHz, 60 KHz, 120 KHz

The examples in Table 4 illustrate SCSs similar to those in Table 3,except that the SCSs in Table 4 includes the range of subcarrierspacings (Sp) supported on each cell used for multicarrier operation.For example, a UE capable of C11 can support any subcarrier spacingbetween 15 KHz to 60 KHz on cell1 and any subcarrier spacing between 15KHz to 120 KHz on cell2. If pre-defined subcarrier spacings (Sp) are 15,30, 60 and 120 KHz, then the UE capable of C11 can support any Sp of 15,30 and 60 KHz on cell1 and any Sp of 15, 30, 60 and 120 KHz on cell2 formulticarrier operation involving cell1 and cell2.

TABLE 4 Specific examples of numerology combination set in terms ofsubcarrier combination set supported by the UE for performingmulticarrier operation of two or more carriers. Same subcarrier spacing(Sp) is used in UL and DL of the same cell. In some cases, Sp can be anyvalue between the specified ranges. Subcarrier Subcarrier spacingsapplicable combination set Cell for different cells C10 Cell1 15 KHzCell2 Sp ≤ 30 KHz C11 Cell1 15 KHz ≤ Sp ≤ 60 KHz Cell2 15 KHz ≤ Sp ≤ 120KHz C12 Cell1 ≤60 KHz Cell2 ≤60 KHz C13 Cell1 15 KHz ≤ Sp ≤ 60 KHz Cell215 KHz ≤ Sp ≤ 60 KHz C14 Cell1 15 KHz Cell2 Sp ≤ 30 KHz Cell3 30 KHz ≤Sp ≤ 120 KHz C15 Cell1 15 KHz ≤ Sp ≤ 60 KHz Cell2 30 KHz . . . . . .Cellm 60 KHz ≤ Sp ≤ 240 KHz

The examples in Table 5 illustrate SCSs where different subcarrierspacings (Sp) can be supported in the UL and DL of some cells supportedby the UE for the multicarrier operation.

TABLE 5 Specific examples of numerology combination set in terms ofsubcarrier combination set supported by the UE for performingmulticarrier operation of two or more carriers. Different subcarrierspacing (Sp) can be used in UL and DL of the same cell. In some cases,Sp can be any value between the specified ranges. Subcarrier CellSubcarrier spacings applicable combination set Cell direction fordifferent cells C16 Cell1 DL 15 KHz UL 30 KHz Cell2 DL 15 KHz UL 30 KHzC17 Cell1 DL 30 KHz UL 30 KHz Cell2 DL 30 KHz UL 30 KHz C18 Cell1 DL 15KHz, 30 KHz UL 30 KHz Cell2 DL 15 KHz, 30 KHz, 60 KHz UL 30 KHz, 60 KHzC19 Cell1 DL 15 KHz, 30 KHz UL ≤30 KHz Cell2 DL 30 KHz ≤ Sp ≤ 120 KHz UL30 KHz, 60 KHz C20 Cell1 DL 15 KHz ≤ Sp ≤ 60 KHz UL 15 KHz ≤ Sp ≤ 120KHz Cell2 DL 15 KHz ≤ Sp ≤ 30 KHz UL 15 KHz ≤ Sp ≤ 60 KHz C21 Cell1 DL15 KHz ≤ Sp ≤ 60 KHz UL ≤60 KHz . . . . . . . . . Cellm DL 60 KHz ≤ Sp ≤480 KHz UL 15 KHz, 30 KHz

In some embodiments, the numerologies supported within a particular NCScan further depend on the relation between carriers involved in themulticarrier operation. Such NCS can be expressed in terms of ruleswhich can also be pre-defined. Some non-limiting examples of relationsbetween carriers include:

-   -   carriers belonging to the same band;    -   carriers belonging to the same band and they are adjacent;    -   carriers belonging to the same band and they are non-adjacent;    -   difference in frequencies of the non-adjacent carriers in the        same band;    -   carriers belonging to different frequency bands;    -   any combination of the above, e.g. F1 and F2 are adjacent and        belong to the same band (B1) while F3 belongs to another band        (B2).

Some non-limiting examples of rules for determining NCS which depend onthe relation between carriers include:

-   -   same numerology is used on all carriers if they belong to the        same band;    -   same numerology is used on all carriers if they belong to the        same band and are also adjacent;    -   either same numerology or different numerologies can be used on        carriers if they belong to different bands;    -   same numerology can be used on carriers if they belong to        different bands but the frequencies of the carriers are within        certain frequency range (e.g. within 200 MHz);    -   different numerologies can be used on carriers if they belong to        different bands but the difference between frequencies of the        carriers is larger than certain threshold (e.g. more than 200        MHz);    -   if the carriers are non-adjacent but they belong to the same        band, then whether the same numerology or different numerologies        can be used on carriers can depend on the frequency gap between        carriers (or between frequency blocks). For example, the same        numerology can be used provided that the length of the frequency        gap is not larger than certain threshold.

Step 220

In step 220, the UE can perform one or more radio operational tasksbased on at least one set of numerology combination set (NCS) determinedin the previous step (e.g. S1, C1 etc.).

In some embodiments, the operational task(s) can include reporting ortransmitting the results or information of the determined numerologycombination set to another node. Examples of another node are another UEcapable of D2D operation, a network node such as a serving network node,a core network node, etc. The UE can signal or transmit the informationwith or without receiving a request from another node. The informationmay be transmitted in terms of or as part of UE capability information(e.g. UE radio access capability). The information may include any oneor more of: values of numerologies within the NCS, identifier(s) ofpre-defined NCS determined by the UE, information about carrierfrequencies (e.g. EARFCN, ARFCN, etc.) and/or frequency bands (e.g. bandidentifier) associated with the determined NCS, etc.

In some embodiments, the operational task(s) can include using resultsor information associated with the determined numerology combination setfor multicarrier operation (e.g. using the numerologies within NCS fortransmitting and/or receiving signals on carriers configured formulticarrier operation).

In some embodiments, the operational task(s) can include adaptingtransceiver configuration for transmitting and/or receiving signals oncarriers configured for multicarrier operation, etc.

Step 230

In some embodiments this step is optional for the UE. In step 230, theUE can receive a request from a network node to perform multicarrieroperation involving at least F1 and F2 based on at least one determinedNCS (e.g. S1). The UE can receive the request after transmittinginformation about the determined NCS to the network node. The requestcan further indicate the type of serving cells to operate on F1 and F2(e.g. PCell and SCell on F1 and F2 respectively). The request canfurther indicate the specific numerologies to be used by the UE foroperating signals on F 1 and F2 (e.g. subcarrier spacings of 15 KHz and30 KHz on F1 and F2 respectively).

The UE, upon receiving the request, can configure its transceiver andstart the multicarrier operation (e.g. CA) on F1 and F2 using theindicated numerologies for the respective carriers/serving cells.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating a method which can be performed in anetwork node, such as radio access node 120. The network node can be anyof the first network node (NW1), second network node (NW2), or anotherradio network node (e.g. neighbor of NW1 and/or NW2), core network node,etc. as have been described herein. The method can include:

Step 300 (optional): Requesting a UE to transmit information about a setof numerologies supported by the UE for multicarrier operation.

Step 310: Obtaining at least a first set of numerologies (S1) includingat least two numerologies: a first numerology (N1) and a secondnumerology (N2), used by a UE for operating signals in a first cell(cell1) of a first carrier (F1) and a second cell (cell2) of a secondcarrier (F2), respectively, for performing multicarrier operation of theUE.

Step 320: Using the obtained set of numerologies (S1) for performing oneor more operational tasks, for example, configuring the UE formulticarrier operation based on S1, transmitting the obtainedinformation S1 to another node, using S1 for multicarrier operationinvolving the UE, adapting transceiver configuration, adaptingscheduling, etc.

It will be appreciated that one or more of the above steps can beperformed simultaneously and/or in a different order. Also, stepsillustrated in dashed lines are optional and can be omitted in someembodiments. The steps will now be described in more detail.

Step 300

In some embodiments this step is optional for the network node. In step300, the network node can transmit a request for a UE to transmitinformation about the UE's capability related to at least one numerologycombination set (NCS) supported by the UE for performing multicarrieroperation. The request can further include the information about thecarrier frequencies associated with one or more NCS supported by the UE.This can be similar to as described for the UE in FIG. 5 step 200.

Step 310

In step 310, the network node can obtain information related to at leastone set of numerologies (e.g. S1), which can be used by the UE forperforming multicarrier operation involving at least two carrierfrequencies: a first carrier frequency (F1) and a second carrierfrequency (F2).

The embodiments related to determining the NCS and/or SCS andinformation related to the NCS and/or SCS as described for the UE inFIG. 5 step 210 can also be applicable to the network node embodimentsdescribed herein.

The network node can obtain at least one set of numerologies (NCS) basedon any one or more of the following mechanisms:

-   -   Pre-defined information or rules as described above for the UE        embodiments (e.g. pre-defined mapping tables such as Tables        1-5).    -   Information received from another node, e.g. from the UE or from        another network node.    -   History or statistics, e.g. values used in the past, values used        most frequently in certain time period(s) in the past.    -   Recently used values, e.g. recent values stored in the memory of        the network node.

Step 320

In step 320, the network node uses the obtained NCS set (e.g. S1) forperforming one or more operational tasks or procedures.

In some embodiments, operational tasks can include configuring the UEwith multicarrier operation based on the determined NCS which issupported by the UE as well as by the network node (e.g. S1). Forexample, assume that the network node determines that the UE supportsSCS C1 and C3 as described in Table 3, but the network node supportsonly C3. In this case, the UE is configured with only C3.

In some embodiments, operational tasks can include transmitting theobtained information to another node, e.g. another network node.

In some embodiments, operational tasks can include using S1 formulticarrier operation involving the UE, e.g. transmitting and/orreceiving signals on cell1 and cell1 using the associated numerologies.

In some embodiments, operational tasks can include adapting transceiverconfiguration for transmitting and/or receiving signals to the UE.

In some embodiments, operational tasks can include adaptation ofscheduling of data in the UL and/or DL on the serving cells of the UEbased on the determined numerologies.

In some embodiments, operational tasks can include adapting measurementconfiguration or measurement performance of measurement(s) performed bythe UE on serving cells of the UE based on the obtained NCS. Forexample, configuring the UE to perform measurement(s) over certainmeasurement time(s), which is adapted to the configured numerology orNCS on at least two serving cells.

In some embodiments, operational tasks can include adapting or changingthe numerology of cell1 and/or cell2 if the UE supports more than onenumerology for the same cell during multicarrier operation.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating a method for determining a set ofnumerologies for performing multicarrier operation. The method can beperformed by a wireless device, such as UE 110, as described herein. Themethod can include:

Step 400: Determining a set of numerologies supported by the wirelessdevice for performing multicarrier operation. The set of numerologiesincludes at least a first numerology for operating signals on a firstcarrier in a first cell and a second numerology for operating signals ona second carrier in a second cell.

The numerologies can include attribute(s) defining signalcharacteristics, such as: subcarrier spacing, a symbol duration, a cycleprefix length, a time slot duration, a frame duration, a subframeduration, a transmission time interval duration, a number of subcarriersper physical channel, and/or a number of physical channels within thebandwidth.

Step 410: Determining a relation between the first carrier and thesecond carrier.

In some embodiments, the numerologies to be used by the wireless devicefor multicarrier operation can depend on the relation between the firstand second carrier frequencies. Examples of the relation between thefirst and second carrier can include: the first and second carriersbelong to the same frequency band; the first and second carriers belongto different frequency bands; the difference between frequencies of thefirst and second carriers being greater than or less than a giventhreshold; the first and second carriers being adjacent; the first andsecond carriers being non-adjacent; and/or any combination of theserelations.

Step 420: Responsive to determining the relation between the firstcarrier and the second carrier, using the first numerology for operatingthe signals on the first carrier in the first cell and the secondnumerology for operating the signals on the second carrier in the secondcell.

In some embodiments, the numerologies to be used by the wireless devicefor multicarrier operation are selected in accordance with thedetermined relation between the first and second carriers. For example,different numerologies can be used for the first numerology and thesecond numerology in accordance with determining that the first andsecond carriers belong to different frequency bands. In another example,the same numerology can be used for the first numerology and the secondnumerology in accordance with determining that the first and secondcarriers belong to the same frequency band. In some embodiments, thefirst and second numerologies can further depend on determining adifference between the frequencies of the first and second carriers(e.g. greater than or less than a threshold, within a certain range ofeach other, adjacent or non-adjacent frequencies, etc.).

In some embodiments, the wireless device can use the same, or different,numerologies for operating signals on the downlink channel and theuplink channel of the first carrier. Similarly, in some embodiments, thewireless device can use the same, or different, numerologies foroperating signals on the downlink channel and the uplink channel of thesecond carrier.

In some embodiments, the wireless device can use a common transmitterand/or a common receiver when using a same numerology for the firstnumerology and the second numerology. In some embodiments, the wirelessdevice can use different transmitters and/or different receivers whenusing a different numerology for the first numerology and the secondnumerology.

In some embodiments, the method of FIG. 7 can further include receivinga request to perform multicarrier operation from a network node. In someembodiments, the method of FIG. 7 can further include transmittinginformation associated with the set of numerologies supported by thewireless device for performing multicarrier operation to a network node.

It will be appreciated that one or more of the above steps can beperformed simultaneously and/or in a different order. Also, stepsillustrated in dashed lines are optional and can be omitted in someembodiments.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an example wireless device, UE 110, inaccordance with certain embodiments. UE 110 includes a transceiver 510,processor 520, and memory 530. In some embodiments, the transceiver 510facilitates transmitting wireless signals to and receiving wirelesssignals from radio access node 120 (e.g., via transmitter(s) (Tx),receiver(s) (Rx) and antenna(s)). The processor 520 executesinstructions to provide some or all of the functionalities describedabove as being provided by UE, and the memory 530 stores theinstructions executed by the processor 520. In some embodiments, theprocessor 520 and the memory 530 form processing circuitry.

The processor 520 can include any suitable combination of hardware toexecute instructions and manipulate data to perform some or all of thedescribed functions of a wireless device, such as the functions of UE110 described above. In some embodiments, the processor 520 may include,for example, one or more computers, one or more central processing units(CPUs), one or more microprocessors, one or more application specificintegrated circuits (ASICs), one or more field programmable gate arrays(FPGAs) and/or other logic.

The memory 530 is generally operable to store instructions, such as acomputer program, software, an application including one or more oflogic, rules, algorithms, code, tables, etc. and/or other instructionscapable of being executed by a processor 520. Examples of memory 530include computer memory (for example, Random Access Memory (RAM) or ReadOnly Memory (ROM)), mass storage media (for example, a hard disk),removable storage media (for example, a Compact Disk (CD) or a DigitalVideo Disk (DVD)), and/or or any other volatile or non-volatile,non-transitory computer-readable and/or computer-executable memorydevices that store information, data, and/or instructions that may beused by the processor 520 of UE 110.

Other embodiments of UE 110 may include additional components beyondthose shown in FIG. 8 that may be responsible for providing certainaspects of the wireless device's functionalities, including any of thefunctionalities described above and/or any additional functionalities(including any functionality necessary to support the solution describedabove). As just one example, UE 110 may include input devices andcircuits, output devices, and one or more synchronization units orcircuits, which may be part of the processor 520. Input devices includemechanisms for entry of data into UE 110. For example, input devices mayinclude input mechanisms, such as a microphone, input elements, adisplay, etc. Output devices may include mechanisms for outputting datain audio, video and/or hard copy format. For example, output devices mayinclude a speaker, a display, etc.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an exemplary network node 120, inaccordance with certain embodiments. Network node 120 may include one ormore of a transceiver 610, processor 620, memory 630, and networkinterface 640. In some embodiments, the transceiver 610 facilitatestransmitting wireless signals to and receiving wireless signals fromwireless devices, such as UE 110 (e.g., via transmitter(s) (Tx),receiver(s) (Rx), and antenna(s)). The processor 620 executesinstructions to provide some or all of the functionalities describedabove as being provided by a network node 120, the memory 630 stores theinstructions executed by the processor 620. In some embodiments, theprocessor 620 and the memory 630 form processing circuitry. The networkinterface 640 can communicate signals to backend network components,such as a gateway, switch, router, Internet, Public Switched TelephoneNetwork (PSTN), core network nodes or radio network controllers, etc.

The processor 620 can include any suitable combination of hardware toexecute instructions and manipulate data to perform some or all of thedescribed functions of network node 120, such as those described above.In some embodiments, the processor 620 may include, for example, one ormore computers, one or more central processing units (CPUs), one or moremicroprocessors, one or more application specific integrated circuits(ASICs), one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and/or otherlogic.

The memory 630 is generally operable to store instructions, such as acomputer program, software, an application including one or more oflogic, rules, algorithms, code, tables, etc. and/or other instructionscapable of being executed by a processor 620. Examples of memory 630include computer memory (for example, Random Access Memory (RAM) or ReadOnly Memory (ROM)), mass storage media (for example, a hard disk),removable storage media (for example, a Compact Disk (CD) or a DigitalVideo Disk (DVD)), and/or or any other volatile or non-volatile,non-transitory computer-readable and/or computer-executable memorydevices that store information.

In some embodiments, the network interface 640 is communicativelycoupled to the processor 620 and may refer to any suitable deviceoperable to receive input for network node 120, send output from networknode 120, perform suitable processing of the input or output or both,communicate to other devices, or any combination of the preceding. Thenetwork interface 640 may include appropriate hardware (e.g., port,modem, network interface card, etc.) and software, including protocolconversion and data processing capabilities, to communicate through anetwork.

Other embodiments of network node 120 can include additional componentsbeyond those shown in FIG. 9 that may be responsible for providingcertain aspects of the network node's functionalities, including any ofthe functionalities described above and/or any additionalfunctionalities (including any functionality necessary to support thesolutions described above). The various different types of network nodesmay include components having the same physical hardware but configured(e.g., via programming) to support different radio access technologies,or may represent partly or entirely different physical components.

Processors, interfaces, and memory similar to those described withrespect to FIGS. 8 and 9 may be included in other network nodes (such ascore network node 130). Other network nodes may optionally include ornot include a wireless interface (such as the transceiver described inFIGS. 8 and 9).

In some embodiments, the wireless device, such as UE 110, can comprise aseries of modules configured to implement the functionalities of thewireless device described above. Referring to FIG. 10, in someembodiments, UE 110 can comprise a receiving module 710 configured toreceive a request to transmit information associated with numerologiessupported by the UE for multicarrier operation, a determining moduleconfigured to determine a set of numerologies for performingmulticarrier operation in at least a first cell of a first carrier and asecond cell of a second carrier, and a performing module configured toperform an operational task using the determined set of numerologies.

It will be appreciated that the various modules may be implemented ascombination of hardware and software, for instance, the processor,memory and transceiver(s) of UE 110 shown in FIG. 8. Some embodimentsmay also include additional modules to support additional and/oroptional functionalities.

In some embodiments, the network node 120, which can be, for example, aradio access node, may comprise a series of modules configured toimplement the functionalities of the network node described above.Referring to FIG. 11, in some embodiments, the network node 120 cancomprise a requesting module 740 configured to request a wireless deviceto transmit information associated with numerologies supported by thewireless device, an obtaining module 750 configured to obtain a set ofnumerologies supported by the wireless device for performingmulticarrier operation in at least a first cell of a first carrier and asecond cell of a second carrier, and a performing module 760 configuredto perform an operational task using the obtained set of numerologies.

It will be appreciated that the various modules may be implemented ascombination of hardware and software, for instance, the processor,memory and transceiver(s) of network node 120 shown in FIG. 9. Someembodiments may also include additional modules to support additionaland/or optional functionalities.

Some embodiments may be represented as a software product stored in amachine-readable medium (also referred to as a computer-readable medium,a processor-readable medium, or a computer usable medium having acomputer readable program code embodied therein). The machine-readablemedium may be any suitable tangible medium including a magnetic,optical, or electrical storage medium including a diskette, compact diskread only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disc read only memory(DVD-ROM) memory device (volatile or non-volatile), or similar storagemechanism. The machine-readable medium may contain various sets ofinstructions, code sequences, configuration information, or other data,which, when executed, cause processing circuitry (e.g. a processor) toperform steps in a method according to one or more embodiments. Those ofordinary skill in the art will appreciate that other instructions andoperations necessary to implement the described embodiments may also bestored on the machine-readable medium. Software running from themachine-readable medium may interface with circuitry to perform thedescribed tasks.

The above-described embodiments are intended to be examples only.Alterations, modifications and variations may be effected to theparticular embodiments by those of skill in the art without departingfrom the scope of the description.

Glossary

The present description may comprise one or more of the followingabbreviation:

3GPP Third Generation Partnership Project ABS Almost Blank Subframe

AP Access point

ARQ Automatic Repeat Request BCH Broadcast Channel BS Base Station

BSC Base station controllerBTS Base transceiver station

CA Carrier Aggregation

CC Component carrier

CCCH SDU Common Control Channel SDU

CG Cell group

CGI Cell Global Identifier CP Cyclic Prefix

CPICH Ec/No CPICH Received energy per chip divided by the power densityin the

CPICH Common Pilot Channel

CQI Channel Quality information

C-RNTI Cell RNTI CRS Cell-specific Reference Signal

CSG Closed subscriber group

CSI Channel State Information

DAS Distributed antenna systemDC Dual connectivity

DCCH Dedicated Control Channel DCI Downlink Control Information DLDownlink

DL-SCH Downlink shared channel

DRX Discontinuous Reception DTCH Dedicated Traffic Channel DTXDiscontinuous Transmission

EARFCN Evolved absolute radio frequency channel number

ECCE Enhanced Control Channel Element ECGI Evolved CGI

E-CID Enhanced Cell-ID (positioning method)eNB E-UTRAN NodeB or evolved NodeBePDCCH enhanced Physical Downlink Control ChannelE-SMLC evolved Serving Mobile Location Center

E-UTRA Evolved UTRA E-UTRAN Evolved UTRAN FDM Frequency DivisionMultiplexing GERAN GSM EDGE Radio Access Network

GSM Global System for Mobile communication

HARQ Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request HO Handover HRPD High Rate PacketData HSPA High Speed Packet Access LTE Long-Term Evolution M2M Machineto Machine MAC Medium Access Control MBMS Multimedia Broadcast MulticastServices

MCG Master cell group

MDT Minimization of Drive Tests

MeNB Master eNode B

MME Mobility Management Entity MPDCCH MTC Physical Downlink ControlChannel MSC Mobile Switching Center MSR Multi-standard Radio MTC MachineType Communication NPBCH Narrowband Physical Broadcast Channel NPDCCHNarrowband Physical Downlink Control Channel NR New Radio O&M Operationand Maintenance OFDM Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing OFDMAOrthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access OSS Operations SupportSystem PBCH Physical Broadcast Channel PCC Primary Component CarrierP-CCPCH Primary Common Control Physical Channel PCell Primary CellPCFICH Physical Control Format Indicator Channel PCG Primary Cell GroupPCH Paging Channel PCI Physical Cell Identity PDCCH Physical DownlinkControl Channel PDSCH Physical Downlink Shared Channel PDU Protocol DataUnit PGW Packet Gateway

PHICH Physical HARQ indication channel

PLMN Public Land Mobile Network PMI Precoder Matrix Indicator PRACHPhysical Random Access Channel ProSe Proximity Service PRS PositioningReference Signal

PSC Primary serving cell

PSCell Primary SCell PSS Primary Synchronization Signal PSSS PrimarySidelink Synchronization Signal PUCCH Physical Uplink Control ChannelPUSCH Physical Uplink Shared Channel QAM Quadrature Amplitude ModulationRACH Random Access Channel RAT Radio Access Technology RB Resource BlockRF Radio Frequency RLM Radio Link Management RNC Radio NetworkController RNTI Radio Network Temporary Identifier RRC Radio ResourceControl RRH Remote Radio Head RRM Radio Resource Management RRU RemoteRadio Unit RSCP Received Signal Code Power RSRP Reference SignalReceived Power RSRQ Reference Signal Received Quality RSSI ReceivedSignal Strength Indicator RSTD Reference Signal Time Difference SCCSecondary Component Carrier SCell Secondary Cell SCG Secondary CellGroup SCH Synchronization Channel SDU Service Data Unit

SeNB Secondary eNodeB

SFN System Frame Number SGW Serving Gateway SI System Information SIBSystem Information Block SINR Signal to Interference and Noise Ratio SNRSignal Noise Ratio SON Self-organizing Network SRS Sounding ReferenceSignal SSC Secondary Serving Cell

SSS Secondary synchronization signal

SSSS Secondary Sidelink Synchronization Signal TA Timing Advance TAGTiming Advance Group TTI Transmission Time Interval Tx Transmitter UEUser Equipment UL Uplink UMTS Universal Mobile Telecommunication SystemUTRA Universal Terrestrial Radio Access UTRAN Universal TerrestrialRadio Access Network WLAN Wireless Local Area Network

1. A method performed by a wireless device, the method comprising:determining a set of numerologies supported by the wireless device forperforming multicarrier operation, the set of numerologies including atleast a first numerology for operating signals on a first carrier in afirst cell and a second numerology for operating signals on a secondcarrier in a second cell; when a difference between frequencies of thefirst and second carriers is greater than a threshold, using the firstnumerology for operating the signals on the first carrier in the firstcell and the second numerology for operating the signals on the secondcarrier in the second cell, wherein the first numerology and the secondnumerology are different numerologies; and when the difference betweenfrequencies of the first and second carriers is less than or equal tothe threshold, using the first numerology for operating the signals onthe first carrier in the first cell and the second numerology foroperating the signals on the second carrier in the second cell, whereinthe first numerology and the second numerology are a same numerology. 2.The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second numerologiescomprise one or more attributes defining signal characteristics.
 3. Themethod of claim 2, wherein the one or more attributes include at leastone of a subcarrier spacing, a symbol duration, a cycle prefix length, atime slot duration, a frame duration, a subframe duration, atransmission time interval duration, a number of subcarriers perphysical channel, and a number of physical channels within thebandwidth.
 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, determining arelation between frequencies of the first and second carriers.
 5. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the first and second carriers belong todifferent frequency bands.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the firstand second carriers belong to a same frequency band.
 7. The method ofclaim 1, wherein frequencies of the first and second carriers arenon-adjacent.
 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, using atleast one of a common transmitter and a common receiver when using thesame numerology for the first numerology and the second numerology. 9.The method of claim 1, further comprising, using at least one of adifferent transmitter and a different receiver when using the differentnumerologies for the first numerology and the second numerology.
 10. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising, using different numerologies foroperating signals on a downlink channel and an uplink channel of thefirst carrier.
 11. A wireless device comprising circuitry including aprocessor and a memory, the memory containing instructions executable bythe processor whereby the wireless device is operative to: determine aset of numerologies supported by the wireless device for performingmulticarrier operation, the set of numerologies including at least afirst numerology for operating signals on a first carrier in a firstcell and a second numerology for operating signals on a second carrierin a second cell; when a difference between frequencies of the first andsecond carriers is greater than a threshold, use the first numerologyfor operating the signals on the first carrier in the first cell and thesecond numerology for operating the signals on the second carrier in thesecond cell, wherein the first numerology and the second numerology aredifferent numerologies; and when the difference between frequencies ofthe first and second carriers is less than or equal to the threshold,use the first numerology for operating the signals on the first carrierin the first cell and the second numerology for operating the signals onthe second carrier in the second cell, wherein the first numerology andthe second numerology are a same numerology.
 12. The wireless device ofclaim 11, wherein the first and second numerologies comprise one or moreattributes defining signal characteristics.
 13. The wireless device ofclaim 12, wherein the one or more attributes include at least one of asubcarrier spacing, a symbol duration, a cycle prefix length, a timeslot duration, a frame duration, a subframe duration, a transmissiontime interval duration, a number of subcarriers per physical channel,and a number of physical channels within the bandwidth.
 14. The wirelessdevice of claim 11, further configured to determine a relation betweenfrequencies of the first and second carriers.
 15. The wireless device ofclaim 11, wherein the first and second carriers belong to differentfrequency bands.
 16. The wireless device of claim 11, wherein the firstand second carriers belong to a same frequency band.
 17. The wirelessdevice of claim 11, wherein frequencies of the first and second carriersare non-adjacent.
 18. The wireless device of claim 11, furtherconfigured to use at least one of a common transmitter and a commonreceiver when using the same numerology for the first numerology and thesecond numerology.
 19. The wireless device of claim 11, furtherconfigured to use at least one of a different transmitter and adifferent receiver when using the different numerologies for the firstnumerology and the second numerology.
 20. The wireless device of claim11, further configured to use different numerologies for operatingsignals on a downlink channel and an uplink channel of the firstcarrier.